Method and system for enforcing user rights and maintaining consistency of user data in a data network

Abstract

A method and system for enforcing user rights on user data, and maintaining consistency of the user data in a data network are disclosed. Each of a plurality of entities controls one or more network devices which are connected via the data network. Each network device includes at least one user data node which contains at least one elementary piece of user data. The elementary piece of user data is associated with a traceability graph including at least one traceability link. The traceability link connects a source user data node and a destination user data node. The user data node also contains rights information which comprises a rule-based policy regarding the user data. The rights information is also propagated to other entities based on the traceability graph. Consistency of the user data is achieved and owner's rights are enforced based on the traceability graph.

1 . A system for enforcing user rights on user data and consistency of the user data, the system comprising: 
 a data network; and    a plurality of network devices electrically coupled to the data network, each network device comprising at least one user data node which contains at least one elementary piece of user data, the elementary piece of user data being associated with a traceability graph comprising at least one traceability link which connects a source user data node which sends the elementary piece of user data and a destination user data node which receives the elementary piece of user data, whereby consistency of the user data is obtained based on the traceability graph.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user data node further contains rights information which comprises a rule-based policy regarding the user data.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the rights information is propagated to other entities based on the traceability graph.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the rule-based policy specifies rules regarding at least one of propagation of the elementary piece of user data, propagation of the rights, notification, and update of an original copy of the elementary piece of user data.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the rule-based policy is specified by an owner of the user data.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity handling a root user data node from which the elementary piece of user data is originated to update the user data.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute the elementary piece of user data recursively.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute the elementary piece of user data non-recursively.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute recursive rights.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to alter a topology of the traceability graph.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner requests other entities to notify the owner whenever the elementary piece of user data is duplicated to other entities.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the owner requests other entities to notify the owner whenever the elementary piece of user data is processed.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the rights information includes rules to resolve user data propagation conflicts.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the conflict is resolved by accepting an elementary piece of user data having a most current time-stamp.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the rule requests the destination user data node to notify the source user data node that sent an outdated elementary piece of user data of such conflict.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the rights information includes rules to resolve rights propagation conflicts.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each user data node provides an abstract interface for communication to other user data nodes.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the abstract interface performs at least one of functions handling the propagation of the elementary piece of user data recursively and non-recursively, functions handling the propagation of the rights information recursively and non-recursively, functions handling the notification of the owner of the elementary piece of user data of any processing and distribution of the elementary piece of user data, functions handling authoring of the elementary piece of user data and associated rights information and functions handling authoring of the topology of the traceability graph.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the traceability graph is established between a plurality of source user data nodes and one destination user data node.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the elementary piece of user data is owned by a plurality of owners.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the traceability graph is generated with multiple root user data nodes from which the elementary piece of user data is originated.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the traceability graph is generated by connecting each destination user data node to a root user data node from which the elementary piece of user data is originated and each user data node maintains a traceability link reference.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the network devices are implemented by service oriented architecture (SOA).  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein each network device comprises: 
 a first processor for running at least one application server; and    a second processor for running at least one rights and consistency enforcement service (RCES), the RCES being associated with the user data node.    
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the second processor comprises; 
 an interface layer for exposing methods of services to the data network;    a data management layer for providing storage and basic data managements for the rights information and the user data; and    a web service implementation layer for connecting the interface layer to the data management layer.    
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the interface layer includes a web service interface definition.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the web service interface definition includes at least one of user data propagation, rights propagation, notification and authoring of user data and associated rights.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the web service interface definition takes a form of at least one of web services description language (WSDL) files, entries in universal description, discovery and integration (UDDI) and network listeners part of the application server.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 25  the web service implementation layer takes a form of executable code instantiated by the application server and runs in a runtime environment defined by the application server.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the data management layer takes a form of relational databases.  
   
   
       31 . In a system including a data network which connects a plurality of network devices wherein each network device handles at least one user data node and each user data node stores at least one elementary piece of user data propagated via the data network, a method for enforcing user rights on user data and consistency of the user data, the method comprising: 
 generating a traceability graph which is associated to an elementary piece of user data, the traceability graph comprising at least one traceability link which connects a source user data node which sends the elementary piece of user data and a destination user data node which receives the elementary piece of user data; and    updating the elementary piece of user data when the elementary piece of user data is changed based on the traceability graph.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the user data node further contains rights information which comprises a rule-based policy regarding the user data.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising: 
 propagating the rights information to other entities based on the traceability graph.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the rule-based policy specifies rules regarding at least one of propagation of the elementary piece of user data, propagation of the rights, notification, and update of an original copy of the elementary piece of user data.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the rule-based policy is specified by an owner of the user data.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity handling a root user data node from which the elementary piece of user data is originated to update the user data.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute the elementary piece of user data recursively.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute the elementary piece of user data non-recursively.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to distribute recursive rights.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner grants a right to an entity to alter a topology of the traceability graph.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner requests other entities to notify the owner whenever the elementary piece of user data is duplicated to other entities.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the owner requests other entities to notify the owner whenever the elementary piece of user data is processed.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the rights information includes rules to resolve user data propagation conflicts.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the conflict is resolved by accepting an elementary piece of user data having a most current time-stamp.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the rule requests the destination user data node to notify the source user data node that sent an outdated elementary piece of user data of such conflict.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the rights information includes rules to resolve rights propagation conflicts.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the traceability graph is established between a plurality of source user data nodes and one destination user data node.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the elementary piece of user data is owned by a plurality of owners.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the traceability graph is generated with multiple root user data nodes from which the elementary piece of user data is originated.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the traceability graph is generated by connecting each destination user data node to a root user data node from which the elementary piece of user data is originated.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising: 
 generating a traceability link reference for each traceability link at each user data node, whereby each user data node updates rights information based on the traceability link reference.